With shoppers eagerly awaiting Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to grab themselves a bargain, Cleveland Fire Brigade is asking people to be extra vigilant when buying electrical goods.
With Christmas just four weeks away and many residents waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to start their Christmas Shopping, bargains including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, TVs and white goods such as ovens and refrigerators may be top of shopper’s wish lists.
Faulty electrical items
With this in mind the Brigade is sharing safety guidance for purchasing electrical products and appliances to help keep its communities safe during the sales. Every Christmas the Brigade sees an increase in the number of fires caused by faulty electrical items. Between Monday 5th December 2022 and Sunday 8th January 2023 fires started by electricals accounted for 25% of all house fires attended by crews.
Purchasing cheaper counterfeit or faulty products could cost you dearly and put you and your family at risk"
Robin Turnbull, Area Manager, Prevention, Protection and Engagement at Cleveland Fire Brigade said: “We know many people will be looking to grab a bargain and stock up on Christmas presents in the sales, but we are urging people not to compromise when it comes to buying electrical items and if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Purchasing cheaper counterfeit or faulty products could cost you dearly and put you and your family at risk.”
Popular online marketplaces
“We’d recommend only buying electrical products from reputable sellers that you know and trust, that way if something goes wrong you can return it and get a refund. Some popular online marketplaces can advertise products which look genuine and safe. However, it is hard to tell and therefore it’s so much safer to buy from a reputable retailer.”
“We’d also encourage people to register their appliances online, therefore if an item is recalled you will be informed,” Continued Robin Turnbull. Follow their top electrical safety tips to avoid a house fire this Christmas:
- Buy from a reputable retailer that you know and trust – that way if something goes wrong, users can return the product for repair or a refund.
- Register an appliance to increase the safety of the home, visit: http://registermyappliance.org.uk/registration/
- Look out for the United Kingdom Conformity Assessed (UKCA) or CE mark when buying products
- Don’t overload plug sockets – extension leads/adaptors have a limit to how many amps they can take, try to keep one plug per socket especially for high powered appliances.
- Regularly check for worn/frayed wires ensure cables are secured properly to the plug.
- Do not charge items while users are out or asleep.
- Never leave mobile phones and other appliances on or under the pillow or bed covers (or soft furnishings) while users are sleeping – they could overheat and start a fire.
- If users suspect they have purchased a fake product, stop using it immediately and report it to the local Trading Standards.